Sustainability

Coles Nurture Fund:Round 1 recipients

Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs

Clyde, Victoria

Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs, based on the outskirts of Melbourne was able to build a state-of-the-art greenhouse funded by a $433,250 Coles Nurture Fund interest-free loan, as part of its new model of urban farming. The greenhouse uses cloud technology to tell employees when and what herbs to pick and has increased yields by about 75 per cent. This means Coles customers can enjoy locally-grown herbs all year round. Representing the criteria of the Coles Nurture Fund, the Victorian business is dedicated to innovation, best-in-class sustainable practices and providing Aussies with great produce.

Berry Yummy

Queensland and Myponga, South Australia

In a first for the strawberry industry, Berry Yummy has implemented cutting edge heat-seal technology to enhance food safety and quality through the support of the Coles Nurture Fund. A $500,000 interest-free loan meant Berry Yummy could install innovative heat-seal technology to help ensure a consistent quality supply of the popular fruit to customers. Pioneering the practice in Australia, the technology has helped to reduce packaging and food waste and speed up the time it takes for strawberries to get from paddock to plate.

Harvey Citrus

Harvey, Western Australia

With a $500,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant, Harvey Citrus planted 9,000 new trees to bring customers more locally-grown limes and mandarins. Supplying Coles with top quality citrus for more than 30 years, Pina and Steve Pergoliti also used the support from the Nurture Fund to expand into new citrus varieties, including introducing a new line of seedless lemons. Bringing Western Australian locally-grown citrus to Coles customers is a top priority for the Pergolitis and that’s why Coles is proud to support them.

Manbulloo Mangoes

Katherine, Northern Territory and Townsville, Queensland

Since receiving a $500,000 interest-free loan from the Coles Nurture Fund, Manbulloo Mangoes in Queensland and the Northern Territory have sold an additional 4.5 million mangoes each season through Coles. The support from the Nurture Fund enabled Marie Piccone to embark on a major expansion project, planting nearly 22,000 new mangoes trees on 130 hectares at her Katherine farm, so that Aussies can enjoy more delicious and locally-grown mangoes all summer long. The expansion also supports regional employment with an 60 additional people needed during peak harvest season.

Moonrocks

St George, Queensland

A $400,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant saw fifth generation farmers Andrew and David Moon purchase a controlled temperature storage facility, new machinery and equipment to size and pack garlic for their growing operation. Dedicated to reducing imports of garlic into Australia, the grant has allowed Moonrocks to provide more locally-grown garlic to Queensland customers. The project has been a great success, replacing garlic imports at Coles from September to December, and also supporting local community employment.

Three Farmers

Narrogin, Western Australia

Western Australian grain growers, Three Farmers, received a $500,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant to help build mainland Australia’s first-ever quinoa processing plant, enabling the farming families to supply Coles with more than 800,000 packets of the super-grain each year. This Western Australian grown quinoa has replaced imported South American white quinoa, providing Aussies with access to locally-grown grains and cutting import costs.

Westerway Raspberry Farm

Derwent Valley, Tasmania

A $260,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant allowed Westerway Raspberry Farm in Tasmania to install new freezing technology, allowing them to freeze individual berries. As the first grower in Australia to adopt the Liquid Nitrogen berry freezer tunnel, the Clark family have been able to supply locally-grown frozen berries to customers on a large scale. This has also encouraged them to access exciting new markets.